Shloka 1

Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge

Jñāna

Devanagari script

अपन क्रात छा ऑफ क्ााज चतुश्नत्वारिशो< ध्याय: सब पदार्थोके आदि-अन्तका और ज्ञानकी नित्यताका वर्णन ब्रह्मोवाच यदादिमध्यपर्यन्तं ग्रहणोपायमेव च । नामलक्षणसंयुक्तं सर्व वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | yad ādi-madhya-paryantaṁ grahaṇopāyam eva ca | nāma-lakṣaṇa-saṁyuktaṁ sarvaṁ vakṣyāmi tattvataḥ ||

Translation

ବ୍ରହ୍ମା କହିଲେ— ହେ ଋଷିଗଣ! ମୁଁ ଏବେ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱାନୁସାରେ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା କରିବି— ନାମ ଓ ଲକ୍ଷଣ ସହିତ; ତାହାର ଆଦି, ମଧ୍ୟ, ଅନ୍ତ, ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରହଣ (ଉପଲବ୍ଧି) କରିବାର ଉପାୟ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदि: beginning
• आदि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पर्यन्तम्: end/limit
• पर्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ग्रहण: grasping/apprehension
• ग्रहण: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपायम्: means/method
• उपायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• लक्षण: mark/definition
• लक्षण: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संयुक्तम्: joined/associated (with)
• संयुक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयुक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall speak/tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्त्वतः: in truth/accurately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस्

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Mahārṣis (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True knowledge requires (1) clear naming and defining characteristics (nāma–lakṣaṇa) and (2) a reliable method of apprehension (grahaṇopāya), applied to the whole course of a thing—its origin, development, and completion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Brahmā begins an instructional discourse addressed to sages, announcing that he will systematically describe realities with their definitions and the proper means to understand them.